This page was created by Carrie Pirmann. The last update was by Aung Pyae Phyo.
10th Anniversary of the Burma-Bucknell Weekend
The Peak of the Weekends came on its tenth Anniversary, which coincided with the 100th Anniversary of Shaw Loo’s arrival to the University.
The celebration was the biggest one yet. There were around 100 Burmese guests and 40 personnel from the Department of State. The guests during the Weekend got to see the presentation of the Burma-Bucknell Bowl, a symbol of friendship between Burma and Bucknell, which still serves as an annual award for cultural understanding today. The Burmese ambassador U Win presented it to Bucknell University President Merle Odgers, stating that it was a gift from the President of the Burma to the University.
A special convocation was held as part of the Weekend, awarding honorary degrees to Justice William O. Douglas of the Supreme Court and the Burmese Ambassador U Win. There was also an exhibition of Burmese items of interest held in the Library, accompanied by a talk explaining and interpreting the artifacts on display from Dr. Roy C Tasker, professor emeritus of Biology and a Fulbright scholar who taught in Mandalay, Burma.
In attendance this year was Elizabeth Shaw Loo, the daughter of Shaw Loo, who had been flown to America for this event by the Asia Foundation. She had been working in Burma as a teacher and had recently retired for the second time. During the Weekend, she gave an address at the banquet, and afterwards, she and Miss Helen Hunt were also presented certificates of appreciation and recognition by the University. The Wednesday after the Weekend, she unveiled an oil portrait of her father painted by Burmese artist Ko Tin Ave, gifted to the University. The portrait was placed in the Treasure Room of the library when it was first received, and now has a place on the second floor of Marts Hall at Bucknell University.
This Weekend was extensively documented. Reports about the program indicate that there was radio, television and newspaper coverage from organizations such as the USIA motion picture services, the Voice of America, and the Crusader. The following video was retrieved from the Special Collections/University Archives of Bertrand Library. It is assumed to be a video of the 1958 celebrations.
